Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Saving Money With a Price Book

When I used to do one-stop grocery shopping, I just bought whatever there was that I needed, no matter the price. But, I noticed that prices were going up for these items, when my money started getting tight. Then, I started doing some research on "how" to save money at grocery stores while on a budget. I learned about how price books are key to getting good deals and save money.

A price book will list the items you buy most, w/ the lowest price for each item. Some have a spiral or have it on excel on their computer. How I started my price book is, I just took note of every thing I would normally buy & wrote it down as I walked the aisles. As I started price comparing other stores to find the best price, the prices fluctuated, and my one-stop grocery shopping ended. I now will go to different stores to buy different items.

Another way to save money other than investing time in building a price book, is to match up coupons with a sale price. The sales for stores rotate about every 6-8 weeks. Some of my favorite coupon bloggers to get the best deals are of the following: CouponKatarina , MoneySavingMom , and SpringsBargains. Their service is free and with their help, I have gotten many groceries free or almost free. (Keep in mind that clearing off shelves is rude! There are others that are in town needing the same deals you may have found.)

Whenever I find a good deal on produce, pantry items, or meat, I like to stock up. I will do batch cooking or prep in large quantities & freeze it, some call it Once A Month Cooking, OAMC. Just make sure you keep track of the items you have already stocked up on. It is good to eat from your pantry or freezer as well from occasion, so none goes to waste, or money down the drain.

There are seasonal items that only go on sale as loss leaders about once a year. Like the baking items (flour, sugar, etc) will go on sale as a loss leader later in the year for your holiday baking. I am amazed @ how someone can buy a 5 pound bag of flour for $.69! That is awesome! On the other hand, just browsing around the store, I found a name brand sugar (5 lbs) for $1.89 on clearance! So, I bought five, knowing that I was going to be doing a lot of baking for school lunch snacks. The going rate for sugar right now is $2.24 for 4 lbs.

So, even though grocery prices are rising, keep in mind that there are still deals (or steals) to be found.